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Original poster

does shopping in primark make you feel guilty?

52 replies

DimpledThighs · 13/05/2007 22:14

I don't go often but I needed a thing for a night out - shawl thing to cover ham like arms. My friend had a lovely one so I went to get the same thing - was beautiful and cheap cheap cheap so do you:

a) think it is all made by people in awful condiotions and should be avoided

b) is as bad as all high street places (gap, M&S etc.) so if you are buying may as wel save the cash.

I get bits from ebay and oxfam adn don't buy many new clothes, am torn between looking at scarf and feeling guilty and thinking it was a bargain.

OP posts:
NuttyMuffins · 13/05/2007 22:15

No, I can't afford to feel guilty about it.

hana · 13/05/2007 22:15

no no no
enjoy your scarf, people have too many things to feel gulity about these days

mamazon · 13/05/2007 22:16

it is usually really badly made and falls apart after a few washes, hence the price. but for high fashion that will go in the bin after a week who cares.

NuttyMuffins · 13/05/2007 22:17

It's not actually mamazon tbh.

charliecat · 13/05/2007 22:17

I cannot afford M and S or Gap and Im not at all convinced that Primarks workshops will be any worse than anywhere elses.
M and S sell less for £10
Primark sell in bigger quantitys for £3.
Where is the evidence that all these other companys make sure their workers are not being exploited?

rowan1971 · 13/05/2007 22:18

Heard a thing about children in India sold into bonded slavery on Radio 4 recently. They were working in the textile industry.

It's put me right orf, to be honest. Shops like Primark aren't at all vigilant about the working conditions in factories in developing countries. Charity shops for me from now on.

hana · 13/05/2007 22:18

my girls primark pjs are fab - excellent condition after 2 years

FrannyandZooey · 13/05/2007 22:19

Not many places on the high street are ethical but Primark has the absolute worst score on the Ethical Consumer website

(someone on here the other say said they were ethically produced which I so wanted to believe, but sadly not so)

We don't have one here but do I shop in other similarly crap shops and yes I do feel guilty.

I think we all want disposable fashion all the time. I do try to buy classic things that will last and also get stuff from eBay and bootsales. But I have not yet been able to resist buying cheap up to the minute fashion stuff. I really do like having new clothes. Must learn to sew I think that is the answer perhaps?

FrannyandZooey · 13/05/2007 22:20

M+S is also very bad which surprised me

Wotzsaname · 13/05/2007 22:22

shopping in primark...in answer to question. Yes.

can some-one explain when clothes are normlly 200% mark up how they sell them so cheaply?

I don't get the bigger quanties thought as they still have the same overheads, rent per sqaure meter, open hours, staff to pay..

morocco · 13/05/2007 22:29

yes do feel guilty, try to buy more ethical cheapo stuff instead

MrsWho · 13/05/2007 22:42

pile it high type selling rather than things hung up and fancy displays makes it hceaper.Buying materials in massive quantities makes it cheaper too.

Think Priark is one of the places that has improved ethically but there are still much better places to shop.Unfortunatly I can't afford them so would rather pay Primark for the service rather than M&S

twinsetandpearls · 13/05/2007 22:45

It doesn't make me feel guilty as I don;t do it, don't accept maintence from my ex as he works for primark for the same reason.

this decisionis made easier by the fact that people tell me mostof it doesn't survive more than a few washes and is badly made.

twinsetandpearls · 13/05/2007 22:46

M and D do a fairtrade cotton range.

dollyk · 13/05/2007 22:52

No I dont, some of the bigger stores are doing the same and making a bigger profit.I no its not made as well as the others but you dont mind when its all so cheap.esp the cashmere jumpers they are fab

twinsetandpearls · 13/05/2007 22:55

M and S not M and D

Blondilocks · 13/05/2007 22:55

I don't feel guilty. Wasn't there a thing in the past about designer labels being just as bad for that as cheap ones?

Have found that some of the Primark stuff lasts really well. Some of it doesn't but you get that anywhere.

aviatrix · 13/05/2007 22:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Blondilocks · 13/05/2007 22:57

I think also it lulls you into spending more because you have to buy things when you see them else they won't be there & also because things are soo cheap they are easier to justify.

Haven't bought anything in there for ages, other than leggings for DD.

suedonim · 13/05/2007 22:59

A new Primark opened near us at home and I did buy clothes for dd there. Most, if not all, of the labels said they were made in Spain or Portugal - are they fudging the issue or what?

twinsetandpearls · 13/05/2007 23:00

There are very few retailers who are whiter than whote but we can avoid the four maoin culprits

Tesco, asda, matalan and primark. In the past ten years the wages of garment workers in Bangladesh has halved.

I have resd stories of primark ordering their buyers to get factories to half their prices using any means possible. Buyers like walmart can dicate their own terms to factories in a similar way that supermarkets do to farmers here.

if money is an issue buy second hand or from ebay as it least you are not giving money to the trader direct.

twinsetandpearls · 13/05/2007 23:01

suedonim they probably are fudging the issue, it maybe that the garment was made somewhere like Bangladesh and then the last touches were done in Spain.

pickledpear · 13/05/2007 23:04

well i buy clothes in all four of those shops we only have tesco and matalan on the island so do a big shop when home visiting family it is so nice to be able towear something different to everyone else

Blondilocks · 13/05/2007 23:06

It is hard though because if no-one buys stuff that these people produce then they won't have work. Which may be good for getting them out of the poor conditions, but not if they can't get anything else & therefore no money.

Is there a list of all retailers then? Which ones are good?

twinsetandpearls · 13/05/2007 23:11

It is a hard situation and I am not against buying clothes that have been made in the developing world as they need to be able to trade but want to see it done fairly.

labour behind the label

no sweat

ethical consumer have a boycott list although I notice primark and asda are not on there- to there credit they are makking more effort than tesco and asda